[Clayart] elder throwing

[mel jacobson]

The discussion about throwing thinner is right up my alley.
I am now an elder thrower. Yes, I can throw very thin, but
it is a chore. I can throw 15 lb pots, but it is much harder
to do when you are 87.
COMPROMISE.

I am throwing with much softer clay. Soft clay means it may
be thicker to make it stand up. I make smaller pots, lots of mugs
and small soup bowl sized pots. 12 inch plates are just fine. No more
18 inch platters. No more "oh, my god big pots". I cut just a bit deeper
when turning pots. I use my 45 degree stick and cut deeper on that second
pull and force myself to get the clay going up. And, for sure I make one
last pull and stretch to take out some weight.

I added two baskets on my garden tractor hood and pull right up on the deck
to load the glazed pieces in scrap fabric and towels and drive them to
the kiln. No more 10 trips a half block away to the kiln with boards
on my shoulder. When firing the kiln I go back and forth on the tractor
from studio to kiln. My outdoor kiln shed has a solid roof. I have nice
big chairs to sit in while tending the kiln. comfy.

I now have run an ethernet cable and a second modem to my new studio.
I heart radio, Pod casts, and Amazon Music to keep my mind active while
in the studio. A/C in the window and a nice heater.

I find great satisfaction in working smaller, cone 7 oxy, and making much
brighter colors with my standard 5/20 glaze. I work to make me happy.
I run clay through the pug mill to keep myself from getting weak. I still
control all of the steps of making my work. I just compromise with size,
clay condition and running back and forth with a hundred pots. I drive/ride.
mel
ps. The big reason I added a second modem is for safety. I can now use my iphone
from the kiln, garage, studio. I can do 911 from my iwatch that is on a cord around
my neck. I am now coded into my neighbors wifi. I can call from the barn now.
Rod and Margaret went to Oklahoma for a weeks vacation. I was all alone here taking
care of the dogs, cats, birds and wild life. (My daughter feeds the Orioles oranges and
grape jelly. I have to fill in when she is in Minnetonka. I am mindful to be careful, always.
And water the tomatoes, flowers and produce. We are going to do "canning" this fall. And the
100 raspberry plants will be picked clean and made into good stuff.

website: www.melpots.com
www.melpots.com/CLAYART.HTML

[Eleanor Kohler]

Mel said:
> The discussion ….. is right up my alley.

My alley too.
I am 91 years old, been potting almost 70 years. It is a hobby, but a dedicated one. I have a home studio, electric wheel, electric kiln, mix my glazes from recipes especially Mastering ^6, sold some — I know my limitations.

Recently I had a stroke, a small one fortunately, but I was away from my studio for a couple months and I had some time to think.

I was often dissatisfied with the thickness of my work — some pieces were too thick, too heavy. And in all those years I had not made a very large pot.
So I decided to teach myself to throw thinner and to throw a salad bowl size bowl.

I am back at work and making progress with thin — not paper-thin, just thin enough so that the filled coffee cup is not too heavy to handle. But throwing that salad bowl just has not happened. I have given it up, blaming myself for not being good enough, lacking expertise, being inept… It never occurred to me that my advanced age was the cause… until I read Mels experience.

So I am taking Mels advice, making the smaller pieces I am good at, giving up on large bowls, suggesting you get a beautiful wooden salad bowl crafted by a talented woodworker, but most of all, feeling myself free of guilt and low self esteem, happy that throwing is still part of my life.

Thank you, Mel and all this who are weighing in on this — there are many of us.

Eleanor Kohler
New Haven, Vermont

[Antoinette Badenhorst]

Eleonor, Several years ago, I made a decision to stay a potter for as long
as I can. So I started making plans to adjust my techniques for those years
ahead of me.

At only age 65, I am a spring chicken in comparison to many others and I am
fortunate enough to be fairly healthy in comparison with many others.

I do, however, beginning to see changes and things that was previously easy
to do, becomes harder.

Just the fact that you are still getting in the studio is admirable. The
fact that you are doing so much yourself, sets an example to me that I hope
I will be able to follow.

> --

Best wishes,

Antoinette Badenhorst

*PorcelainByAntoinette <https://www.porcelainbyantoinette.com/#/>*

*TeachinArt* <https://www.teachinart.com/antoinette-badenhorst.html>

*International Academy of Ceramics*
<https://www.aic-iac.org/en/member/antoinette-badenhorst/>

*Mississippi Arts Commission
<https://arts.ms.gov/artist/antoinette-badenhorst/>*

*MSClayworks <https://www.msclayworks.com/#/>*
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